Multifunction vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

Ae multifunction vacuum cleaner includes a container body, which houses a suction unit of air flows from the outside; a filter of the air flows sucked from the outside; an accumulation tank of materials sucked from the outside and filtered by the filter; and a steam production unit and a system sending steam to the outside of the container body.

FIELD OF APPLICATION

The invention concerns a multifunction vacuum cleaner, generally usableby itself, both to clean surfaces and eliminate bacterial loads fromthem, and also to produce steam for multiple uses, such as cleaning orironing.

STATE OF THE ART

Vacuum cleaners are known which comprise, synthetically, a containerbody which houses the suction unit, a tank to contain the materialsucked in, a filtering unit and a flexible pipe through which thematerial to be sucked in is sent to the containing tank.

Typically, these vacuum cleaners can be of the so-called “bagless” type,that is, without a bag to contain the material sucked in, or equippedwith a containing bag located at the end of the suction circuit andinterchangeable when it becomes completely full.

Some types of bagless vacuum cleaners have a liquid filter, typicallywater, which is located inside the containing tank and in which thesuction air flow is made to bubble, causing the material sucked in to bereleased into the liquid.

A vacuum cleaner with a liquid filter is known from the patentEP2138083, in the name of the same applicant, which comprises a bodyinside which a tank is defined which contains the liquid which forms afree surface and in which the flow of air sucked in bubbles, said aircoming from a suction opening obtained in the body and to which theflexible suction pipe is connected.

Above the free surface of the liquid a chamber is defined in which arotating device is mounted which is able to separate, by impact, fromthe almost clean air flows sucked in, exiting from the liquid, anyresidual particles of materials sucked in before the air flows arereintroduced into the environment, after passing through another filter.

According to the patent, the presence of a UV-C-ray lamp is alsoprovided, disposed above the free surface of the liquid, to eliminatethe bacterial loads that are transported by the flows of air sucked in.

From the prior art patent EP2901907, which derives from a divisionalapplication of the previous patent, a vacuum cleaner with a water filteris known which, as in the previous case, has a body in which acontaining tank is defined in which a filtering liquid is contained,inside which the flows of air sucked in that contain the material suckedin are made to bubble.

In this case too, the material sucked in is retained by the liquidduring the bubbling, while the air flows, after leaving the lattersubstantially purified, pass through another rotating device suitable todynamically separate from the latter possible residual particles insuspension of material sucked in, before passing through a dry filterand being definitively re-introduced into the environment.

According to this patent, in order to facilitate the release of thematerial sucked inside the liquid, a substantially circular turbulentmotion is created in the latter and is oriented by means of undulatingwalls which are located in the tank and which force the liquid, thrustby the suction action generated by the motor, to be violently mixed,creating, as we said, a turbulent motion which, together with thebubbling, increases the action of separating the material sucked in bythe air flows that transport it and release it inside the tank.

In this case too a UV-C lamp is installed, located above the freesurface of the liquid, to irradiate it and eliminate the bacterial loadsthat the air flows transport from the outside and that the dry filter isnot able to block, before the air flows are re-introduced into theenvironment.

Vacuum cleaners with dry filters are also known, for cleaningoperations, which, in addition to the typical suction action of thematerial to be collected, are equipped with devices for the productionof jets of steam.

These latter devices are used to improve the overall cleaning action ofthe vacuum cleaner, especially to dissolve any possible residues of dirtthat form deposits that remain adherent to the surface to be cleaned,despite the suction action of the vacuum cleaner.

With a suitable command, normally positioned ergonomically on the handleof the conventional flexible suction pipe of the vacuum cleaner, theuser can drive on command the emission of jets of steam, directing themin a targeted manner toward the zone where the dirt remains tenaciouslyadherent to the surface to be cleaned, in order to dissolve it and tosuck it up completely.

For this purpose, the vacuum cleaner is equipped, as well as with thenormal devices that generate the suction force, also with a boiler inwhich a dose of water is loaded, which is heated until it transformsinto steam which can be used on command, as previously said.

The state of the art has some disadvantages.

A first disadvantage is that in order to have at the same time both theefficiency of the filtration obtainable with vacuum cleaners with waterfilters and the cleaning power of vacuum cleaners with steam production,it is necessary to have two separate types of vacuum cleaners available.

This obliges users to a substantially double expense in order topurchase the two types of vacuum cleaners mentioned above and aconsequent double maintenance of the vacuum cleaners and a doubleavailability of space for their storage when not in use.

Moreover, when the user needs to remove stubborn dirt, he mustalternatively use two vacuum cleaners to obtain a complete and accuratecleaning and this makes the cleaning work particularly inconvenient andprolonged over time, as he has to prepare and use a first vacuum cleanerand then prepare and use a second vacuum cleaner and then empty thevacuumed materials from them both.

A second disadvantage of the state of the art is that the steam producedin steam-type vacuum cleaners of a known type is used exclusively forcleaning work in combination with the suction action.

A third disadvantage is that known vacuum cleaners have suction powerswhich may be insufficient for particularly heavy use.

Presentation of the Invention

One purpose of the invention is to improve the state of the art.

Another purpose of the invention is to perfect a multifunction vacuumcleaner that allows both to perform, with a single apparatus, thoroughcleaning work even in cases of persistent dirt, and also to become asource of steam to carry out other work other than cleaning, such as,for example ironing with steam irons.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a multifunction vacuumcleaner that allows to sanitize environments from bacterialcontamination, even without using the specific suction function, usingit as an autonomous source for delivering disinfecting and/orfragrancing substances, and also as an ionization unit.

Another purpose of the invention is to be able to regulate, according toneeds, the performance of the multifunction vacuum cleaner according tothe power required to perform an accurate cleaning work.

According to one aspect of the invention a multifunction vacuum cleaneris provided, according to the characteristics of claim 1.

Other aspects of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

The invention allows to obtain the following advantages:

to comprise, in a single apparatus, the suction function to carry outparticularly precise cleaning work, even in bacterially contaminatedenvironments, the steam production function, both autonomous in order topower steam appliances, and also in combination with the suction action,the function of environmental sanitation and ionization;

to regulate the performance of the multifunction vacuum cleaneraccording to the stress load to be endured when carrying out work toclean and sanitize the environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will becomeclearer from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusiveembodiment of a multifunction vacuum cleaner, shown by way ofnon-restrictive example in the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the multifunction vacuum cleaneraccording to the invention, taken along a longitudinal plane;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the multifunction vacuum cleaneraccording to the invention, taken along a transverse plane;

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are vertical section views of the multifunction vacuumcleaner according to the invention, taken on transversal planesdifferent from that in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an interrupted and enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an interrupted and enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner according to theinvention, without the upper half-shell so as to view some components;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view from above of the vacuum cleaner in FIG. 7,from a different observation point;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view on a slightly reduced scale of the vacuumcleaner in FIG. 8, from another observation point;

FIG. 10 is a view of an enlarged scale detail of the vacuum cleaner inFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the multifunction vacuum cleaneraccording to the invention, in a more complete version;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the multifunction vacuum cleaner usedas a source of steam for supplying an iron;

FIG. 13 is a schematic front view of a part of the multifunction vacuumcleaner, in a version equipped with two motors disposed horizontally;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view from above of a part of the multifunctionvacuum cleaner, in a version equipped with two vertically disposedmotors;

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view from above of the multifunctionvacuum cleaner in FIG. 11, without the upper cap in order to be able tosee the components housed in the upper half-shell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the attached drawings, the reference number 1indicates in its entirety a multifunction vacuum cleaner according tothe invention, hereafter referred to in short as vacuum cleaner 1.

The vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a body which is formed by two coupledhalf-shells, that is, a first half-shell 2, or upper half-shell 2, and asecond half-shell 3, or lower half-shell 3, which are coupled in aseparable manner and constrained to each other by means of hooks 4.

At the lower part, the body is provided with wheels 5 for sliding on theground.

As can be seen in the drawings, particularly in FIG. 1, the firsthalf-shell 2 houses inside, as well as the conventional functioningcomponents, not described because they do not affect the invention, asuction unit, indicated as a whole with 6, which, in a less powerfulversion, comprises a single motor 7 which rotates a drive shaft (notvisible in the drawings) on which a fan 8 is keyed and the rotation ofwhich generates the suction action of the vacuum cleaner 1.

On the same shaft, at the lower end thereof, a rotating separator device9 is also keyed, provided to separate the molecules and the particles ofmaterial and dirt sucked in, after they have been filtered by awater-type filtering unit located along a suction and purification path,described in more detail hereafter.

With reference again to FIG. 1, it should be noted that the secondhalf-shell 3 is equipped with a mouth 10 which extends inside the latterwith a segment of pipe 12 which forms an elbow-shaped segment 12A.

The elbow-shaped segment 12A leads to a first containing tank 11 inwhich a volume of water “V1” is loaded, as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5and which constitutes the water filtering unit cited above.

The mouth 10 toward the outside of the lower half-shell 3 is providedwith a closing cover 10A and with removable attachment members of oneend of a flexible suction pipe which is typically supplied with a vacuumcleaner and which for this reason has not been shown in detail.

As previously stated, the mouth 10 is connected to the first containingtank 11 by means of the segment of pipe 12 which forms the elbow-shapedsegment 12A, which faces the bottom of the first tank 11 andconsequently conveys in this direction the flows of air sucked in withthe materials that are transported in suspension by them, making thembubble in the volume of water “V1”.

In this way, the materials sucked in and/or the parts of these areimbued with water and are retained by the latter, which separates themfrom the air flows that transport them.

The flows of air that exit from the first tank 11, together with part ofthe water, are then conveyed toward the separator device 9, by aconveyor 11 A which is formed in the upper part of the tank 11.

The separator device 9 consists of a truncated cone-shaped turbine,slightly tapering toward the bottom, whose lateral surface has aplurality of apertures 13 separated by separating and ridged verticalfins 14.

In the apertures 13, the air flows sucked in are intended to penetrate,after the particles of water in suspension and the imbibed andtransported dirty material have been completely eliminated from them andhave left the volume of water “V1” which has filtered them out,depriving them of the coarsest and heaviest parts.

When the turbine of the separator device 9 rotates, the fins 14 generatearound it a perimeter barrier of air which repels any possible residualparticles that can accidentally have remained suspended in the alreadyfiltered flows of humid air, separating them from these and making themfall into the volume of water “V1”, simultaneously keeping the surfaceand the fins 14 of the turbine of the separator device 9 humidified.

In this way, the air that passes through the apertures 13 is completelyfree of any impurities.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 it should be noted that immediatelyabove the containing tank 11 an antibacterial unit 15 is mounted whichconsists of at least one lamp 15A which emits UV-C rays, that is, UVrays which have a spectrum such as to kill any faun of bacterium presentboth in the flows of air sucked in that exit from the volume of water“V1”, and also in the same volume of water “V1” in which the collecteddebris accumulates.

In a possible executive variant of the vacuum cleaner 1, the lamp 15Acan be selected from those which also provide to form ozone duringfunctioning.

It is important to underline that this specific characteristic, incombination with the production of steam, which will be described below,makes the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the invention particularlysuitable for use in health environments, such as clinics, hospitals,surgeries and suchlike, since it is able to perform a complete andaccurate sanitization process.

However, this characteristic of the vacuum cleaner 1 guarantees a highquality of sanitization and cleaning even in the domestic-industrialenvironment, allowing on the one hand to eliminate all types of bacteriafrom the surfaces and environments treated and on the other hand toimprove the environmental and health conditions with the emission ofozone.

As can be seen in the drawings, the entire suction unit comprising themotor 7 and the fan 8 is encapsulated in a soundproof casing 16, whichconstitutes a possible embodiment of soundproofing means.

The casing 16 dampens both the noise generated by the motor 7 and thefan 8 during their functioning, and also the noise generated by thepassage of the flows of air sucked in which flow inside the same casing16, inside channels 18 which are specifically made in the latter.

The flows “AF” of air sucked in and purified of the material sucked inpass into the upper part of the half-shell 2, following a filtrationand/or conveying path which leads them to lap the motor 7, cooling thecomponents thereof (for example the carbon brushes with which it isequipped) and finally flow toward an outlet aperture 20 which isprovided with another micro-pore filter 19 to filter them further beforebeing definitively re-introduced into the environment.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, it can be seen that a second tank 17 isalso housed in the second half-shell 3, in which a second volume “V2” ofwater is loaded which is intended for the production of steam.

In detail, it should be noted that one end of a pipe 21 draws from thesecond tank 17 and, at an opposite upper end, is provided with a valve22 which controls the passage of the water.

As can be seen in FIG. 7, the second tank 17 is connected to a pump 26by means of a connection pipe 27 which is connected to the end of thepipe 21 and which carries the water intended to produce steam from thesecond tank 17 to the boiler 23.

Along the connection pipe 27 a filter 27A is also provided, to retainany possible impurities present in the water coming from the second tank17 (arrows H₂O).

The pump 26, through another segment of pipe 28, is connected to aterminal socket 29 which is mounted in the first half-shell 2 and whichallows to attach a concurrent terminal end of a connection pipe 35 to anapparatus that functions with the use of steam produced by the vacuumcleaner 1, for example an iron 36, as shown in FIG. 12, or to anotherhousehold appliance.

With reference to FIGS. 7-10, it should be noted that inside the firsthalf-shell 2 a boiler 23 is also housed, in a position substantiallyadjacent to the motor 7.

The boiler 23 is normally provided with one or more internal electricresistances 23B to heat the water, and with an upper mouth 23A in whicha stopper 24 is engaged.

The latter, as described in the patent EP 1217341, property of the sameapplicant, has in the lower part a stem probe 25 which, when the stopper24 is arranged in its normal position to close the mouth 23A, isintended to penetrate inside the heating chamber of the boiler 23.

Inside the latter, the probe 25 detects the level of the water presenttherein, to prevent the heating resistors from being accidentallyactivated when there is little water or when the boiler 23 is evencompletely empty, and therefore may be damaged irreparably.

The socket 29 is protected by a cover 30 which can be lifted and hasinside a mouth 31 to which the end of the pipe 35 can be attached, usingin this case the vacuum cleaner 1 as a mere source of steam (STEAM arrowin FIG. 10), in this case the steam iron 36 which has been mentionedpreviously.

In order to cool the motor 7, in addition to the passage of the airflows “AF”, in the upper part of the first half shell 2 air intakes 32are provided, through which cool air is sucked inside by means of asuitable fan 38 which is driven by the motor 7 itself.

The air sucked in is conveyed together with the flows “AF” to lap themotor 7, as schematically shown in FIG. 1.

The multifunction vacuum cleaner 1, in a more complete embodiment shownin FIG. 11, is also equipped with means to contain detergent fluids or adisinfecting gas, such as nitrous oxide for example.

The containing means can be made, for example, as a container or acartridge 33, either of a rechargeable type or of a disposable type,which contains, as we said, a detergent fluid or a disinfecting gaswhich can be coupled, for example by means of a screw and watertightcoupling, with the first half-shell 2, precisely with an attachment 34made in the latter and connecting the container 33 with the socket 29,through a delivery pipe 40.

On the delivery pipe 40 a heat exchanger 41 is positioned which providesto heat, when necessary, the detergent or the disinfecting gas which arecontained in the container 33 and which pass through it in order tocarry out a “hot” disinfection.

With reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, there are two possible alternativeversions of the vacuum cleaner 1, which, in both cases, is equipped withtwo motors and two separator devices 9.

The use of two motors allows on the one hand to considerably increasethe overall suction power of the vacuum cleaner 1 for use inparticularly severe conditions, and on the other hand, when necessary,to modify its working power, using alternatively both motors or only oneof them.

In detail, as can be seen in the version shown in FIG. 13, the twomotors, indicated in this case by 50 and 51 respectively, are disposedparallel to one another and with horizontal rotation shafts R1 and R2.

On each of the rotation shafts R1 and R2, respective separator devices 9are mounted which function in parallel.

The mouth 10 through which the flows of air sucked in enter, which carrythe collected debris in suspension, extends inside the vacuum cleaner 1with the segment of pipe 12 which, in this case, at the end that facesthe containing tank 11, splits into two parts 12A and 12B which divideand convey the flows of air sucked in toward the respective separatordevices 9.

With reference to FIG. 14 the other possible version of the vacuumcleaner 1 can be seen in which the two motors, indicated in this case bythe references 60 and 61, unlike the version shown in FIG. 13, aredisposed vertically parallel to each other.

In this version too, on the rotation shafts of each motor, indicatedrespectively by R3 and R4, a respective separator device 9 is keyed,which rotates integrally with the respective motor.

As can be seen in the drawing, downstream of the mouth 10 and inside thevacuum cleaner 1, shaped walls 62 are provided which diverge from oneanother and are disposed to divert the flows of air sucked in toward thetwo separator devices 9.

The functioning of the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 can be deducedfrom the description above.

The multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 is typically equipped with electronicmeans to control its functioning, for example an electronic control unitthat is programmed and equipped with at least three functioningprograms, more precisely to function as a vacuum cleaner, or as a sourceof steam, or again as a sanitizing unit for rooms.

The functioning according to the three programs is indicated in detailbelow, separately for each of the functions it is able to perform.

The person of skill understands that the functioning programs can beused both singly and jointly by selecting commands provided on thevacuum cleaner 1, but not indicated in detail here because theirstructure is irrelevant to its working characteristics.

Functioning as a Vacuum Cleaner.

When a user starts the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 to performcleaning work, air flows are sucked in which contain in suspension thematerials to be sucked in the form of parts of dirt or more or lessheavy debris through the mouth 10, to which the end of a conventional,normally flexible, suction pipe has been previously attached.

In the version equipped with a single motor 7, the air flows sucked inthrough the pipe 12 are diverted by the elbow-shaped segment 12A intothe volume “V1” of water in which they bubble and release the particleswhich are naturally heavier than the materials sucked in, and those thatbecome so because they have imbibed water.

From the volume of water “V1” the air flows sucked in are then conveyedwith the conveyor 11A in the direction of the separator device 9 which,rotating with the motor 7, generates a perimeter barrier of air which onone hand prevents the particles of water in suspension from passingthrough it and on the other hand breaks down any possible particles ofmaterials sucked in still present in suspension in them, making themfall into the tank 11.

The air flows sucked in that pass through the separator device 9 arethen conveyed into the upper part of the first half-shell 2, they lapthe motor 7 and pass into the channels 18 made in the casing 16.

From the latter they are then directed toward the outlet aperture 20toward the outside, passing through the microporous filter 19.

It must be underlined that in the travel that the air flows followinside the vacuum cleaner 1, precisely from when they are bubbled insidethe volume of water “V1” and before being treated with the separatordevice 9, they are subjected to the germicidal action of theantibacterial group 15, preferably consisting, as we said, of a lampemitting UV-C rays which hit both the volume of water “V1” contained inthe tank 11 below, and also the same air flows that leave it, directedtoward the separator device 9.

In this way, both the volume of stagnant water contained in the tank 11,and the air flows that are re-introduced into the environment aredeprived of bacterial load.

Functioning of the Multifunction Vacuum Cleaner 1 as a Source of Steam.

When it is required to use the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 as asource of steam, without necessarily having to use the suction action,for example to feed the iron 36, one acts on a special command, notshown, but which can normally be located on a control panel that can beassociated with the container body of the multifunction vacuum cleaner1.

When the command is actuated, the pump 26, through the connection pipe27, sucks the water from the second tank 17 (arrows H₂O in FIG. 8)contained therein and sends it toward the boiler 23 in which it isheated until it is transformed into steam.

The steam formed, through the segment of pipe 28, reaches the socket 29(arrow STEAM in FIG. 10), to which a user apparatus has been previouslyconnected, from whose mouth 31 it is available for use.

It should be noted that the expression “user apparatus” means not onlyany type of external appliance whatsoever that uses steam for itsfunctioning, but also the same suction pipe typical of the multifunctionvacuum cleaner 1 which, in this case, can have a specific connectionthat can be coupled with the socket 29 and a suitable additional pipethat carries the steam toward the suction end of the pipe, which, inthis case, also becomes the ejection end of the steam to reinforce thecleaning action.

Function of the Multifunction Vacuum Cleaner 1 as a Unit for SanitizingRooms.

When necessary, it is possible to use the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1as an independent unit to recirculate stale air in a room.

For this function, the flexible pipe must be disconnected from the mouth10, leaving it open, however, and the motor 7 of the multifunctionvacuum cleaner 1 is driven, using a special command.

The motor 7 can rotate at selectable speeds with the suitable selectioncommands supplied with the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 in relation tothe intensity of sanitization to be obtained or maintained if alreadyperformed previously.

The air flows sucked in from the environment which are to be sanitizedenter through the mouth 10, and follow the normal filtration andconveying path inside the vacuum cleaner 1, that is, they bubble in thevolume of water “V1” contained in the tank 11, they are subjected to thedirect and germicidal action of the lamp 15A with UV-C rays, they arethen conveyed toward the separator device 9 and, after passing throughit, are directed toward the motor 7 and subsequently toward themicro-porous filter 19, finally exiting from the aperture 20 to bereintroduced into the environment after having been completely purified.

This sanitizing function is particularly suitable to be combined withthe functioning program as a source of steam, if the user apparatus isan iron.

In this case, this characteristic allows both to supply steam to theiron and, at the same time, to sanitize the environment in which theiron is used, for example by constantly filtering the air flows suckedin from the environment and making them pass through the vacuum cleaner1 which is maintained at a controlled and reduced operating regimecompared to when it is required to use it as a vacuum cleaner toeliminate dirt and debris.

It should also be noted that by mounting a lamp 15A in the multifunctionvacuum cleaner 1 able to emit both UV-C rays and also ozone, abactericidal action and an ionization action of the room to be sanitizedare obtained, combined with each other, thus considerably improving thequality of the air present.

When using the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 as a sanitizing unit, itis also possible to integrate the action of recirculating stale air,providing to deliver fragrance and/or disinfecting substances, normallyin a nebulized state.

For this purpose, a container 33 is applied to the connection 34 whichcontains a deodorizing or disinfecting substance which, after passingthrough the heat exchanger 41, is diffused by the socket 29.

The electronic control unit with which the vacuum cleaner 1 is equippedfor this purpose and for controlling its functioning, controls thedelivery into the environment of the substance with a programmableintensity and time interval, at the end of which the delivery isautomatically stopped.

The person of skill understands that the functions that themultifunction vacuum cleaner 1 is able to perform can be activatedeither separately or, as previously stated, in combination with eachother, in order to obtain specific performances of the vacuum cleaner 1,adapting them to the conditions of use.

In versions equipped with two motors, the functioning of themultifunction vacuum cleaner 1 is substantially the same as for theversion equipped with a single motor 7, with the only difference beingthat the air flows sucked in, after having passed through theelbow-shaped segment 12A and bubbled in the volume of water “V1”, aredivided into two parts, each of which is directed to a specificseparator device 9 and a relative motor.

Furthermore, the overall power of the multifunction vacuum cleaner 1 issignificantly increased when the two motors function simultaneously.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intendedpurposes.

The invention as conceived is susceptible to modifications and variants,all of which come within the inventive concept.

Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technicallyequivalent elements.

In practical implementation, the materials used, as well as the shapesand the sizes, can be diverse according to requirements, withoutdeparting from the field of protection of the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A multifunction vacuum cleaner (1) comprising: a container body (2, 3), in which the following are disposed: a suction unit (6) of air flows and materials from an outside; an inlet (10) and an outlet (20) of the air flows; a filtration path of the air flows and the materials sucked by said suction unit (6) defined between said inlet (10) and said outlet (20); a filter (V1) of the air flows arranged along said filtration path; a storage tank (11) of the materials sucked from the outside and filtered by said filter; a steam production unit (23) arranged in said container body; and a transport system (28, 29) to the outside of said container body of produced steam by the steam production unit.
 2. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, wherein said container body comprises a first half-shell (2) and a second half-shell (39) constrained to each other in a separable way.
 3. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, wherein said container body comprises a sound-proofing system (16) of at least said suction unit (6).
 4. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, further comprising at least one emitting unit emitter (15, 15A) of UV-C rays arranged in proximity to said filter (V1).
 5. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, wherein said steam production unit comprises: at least one loading tank (17) of a liquid to be vaporized; a heating and vaporizing boiler (23) of said liquid to be vaporized; and a pump (26) of said liquid to be vaporized from said at least one loading tank to said heating and vaporizing boiler.
 6. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 3, wherein said sound-proofing system comprises a capsule (16) made of a polyurethane material disposed peripherally to at least said suction unit (6).
 7. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 5, wherein said container body comprises at least a connecting socket (29) to steam user apparatuses connected to said boiler.
 8. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 3, wherein, in said sound-proofing system, through channels (18) of the sucked air flows are defined.
 9. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, wherein said steam production unit comprises at least a probe (25) to detect a volume of a liquid to be vaporized.
 10. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, further comprising a container (33) and a dispenser of substances selected from the group consisting of detergent substances, ionizing substances, and fragrance substances.
 11. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, further comprising a separator (9) adapted to separate said materials sucked from said sucked air flows.
 12. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, further comprising an electronic operating control system equipped with selectable operating programs for a single or combined activation.
 13. The multifunction vacuum cleaner as in claim 12, wherein said operating programs include an operating program as a vacuum cleaner, an operating program as a steam source, and an operating program as unit for sanitizing environments. 